Nokia opens 5G Industrial Incubation Lab in South Australia
South Australia’s growing global reputation as a hi-tech destination has seen Adelaide selected as the location for Nokia’s 5G Industrial Incubation Lab which is already supporting improvements in safety, productivity and efficiency at Adelaide Airport.
Based at the University of Adelaide, the federally funded Nokia 5G Industrial Incubation Lab was first announced in August 2021 following an agreement between Nokia and the South Australia Government’s Department for Trade and Investment.
The Nokia 5G Industrial Incubation Lab is an exciting addition to South Australia’s economy and hi-tech ecosystem with 5G having the potential to contribute $8 trillion to global GDP by 2030[1], covering a diverse set of industries, including mining, transport and health.
Opening the Nokia 5G Industrial Incubation Lab to a broad set of industries will encourage the development of an ecosystem of technology leaders in Adelaide and further positions South Australia as a true innovation hub for the entire Oceania region.
5G wireless technology connects mobile robots, machines, sensors, computers, and people creating opportunities to relay data at faster speeds to enable the automation and operation of robots and drones. The productivity improvements resulting from this automation, will create significant economic growth in South Australia.
Anna Perrin, Managing Director Nokia, Oceania said, “Nokia is proud to bring our 5G technology leadership to South Australia and the exciting new 5G use cases we’re developing here at the 5G Industrial Incubation Lab. Through the lab, and together with our ecosystem partners, we’re showing industries the benefits of 5G for safer, more efficient and more sustainable operations.”
The 5G Industrial Incubation Lab has deployed and commissioned a 5G network at the University of Adelaide, which has been placed inside a shielded room (Faraday cage) to ensure there is no interference with the public 5G network.
The Nokia 5G Industrial Incubation Lab has undertaken three pilot projects supported by Adelaide Airport Limited, South Australian Power Network and the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, underpinned by the expertise of the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML). The projects cover:
· Airport situational awareness for securing public safety using video cameras
· Rail safety via cameras and scene analytics using big data
· Energy management in a power network via 5G connectivity.
One of the lab’s first industry customers, Adelaide Airport Limited, is currently testing a variety of cameras and wearables such as the Microsoft HoloLens aimed at determining the optimal 5G bandwidth needed to effectively run remote operations.
The results are being used to determine how a 5G scaled deployment can improve the safety and efficiency of Adelaide Airport’s operations, across multiple sites, including Parafield Airport.
For Adelaide Airport, high-definition video streaming will be used for real-time analysis of airport inspection and safety monitoring.
The use of 5G wireless technology is a future platform for connecting mobile robots, machines, sensors, computers and people, creating opportunities for automation on a scale that up until now, hasn’t been possible.
As such, 5G-enabled networks will be essential for the automation of the world’s physical industries, leading to productivity gains.
David Blackwell, EGM Technology and Innovation at Adelaide Airport Limited said, “Working with Nokia’s Industrial Incubation Lab has provided us with much better understanding of the benefits 5G can bring to our airport’s business. We’re excited to see what we can achieve together beyond this first use case.”
Nokia has already hired two full-time engineers to work on the National 5G Industrial Incubation Lab and further growth is anticipated in line with business demand. It is expected Nokia’s expertise in 5G with Microsoft Azure Space platform will provide a national unique capability for industrial automation and other critical industries for South Australia.
An ecosystem has been established to support and grow the lab’s 5G capabilities. These partners include the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML), MIT bigdata Living Lab, Adelaide Airport Limited, Sage Automation, SA Power Networks, the South Australian Government and Bell Labs Consulting.
For further information about the Nokia 5G Industrial Incubation Lab visit: https://spatial.infrastructure.gov.au/portal/apps/sites/#/5g-innovation-initiative-1/pages/nokia-solutions-and-networks-australia-sa
[1] Nokia Bell Labs research 2020: https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2020/10/11/nokia-5g-set-to-add-8trn-to-global-gdp-by-2030/